The Short Answer

Somewhere between $50,000 and several million dollars, which is why the format question comes before the money question. A soft-play room in a small retail unit and a 30,000-square-foot trampoline park are both indoor playgrounds, and they are not the same purchase.

The franchised rows come from Item 7 of each system’s franchise disclosure document, which is the only startup budget a franchisor is legally required to publish and stand behind. The independent rows are estimates from people selling equipment or describing their own builds, so treat them as a starting point, not a quote. Every filed figure for the inflatable format below comes from Funbox’s 2026 filing, issued 2 April 2026.

One thing none of these numbers include is what a park earns once it is open. That is a separate question with its own filed figures.

Where the Money Goes: an Indoor Park, Line by Line

Item 7 breaks the indoor inflatable range into fifteen lines. Here is the whole table, in the order a buyer actually spends it.

Three lines decide where in that range you land.

The build-out. Leasehold improvements are the biggest single line and the widest one, $300,000 to $650,000. The filing says plainly why: it depends on the size of the space, what the landlord leaves behind, and local construction rates. It also notes that landlords often offer tenant-improvement allowances for this kind of tenant, which can cut the out-of-pocket figure substantially. That allowance is the most valuable thing you will negotiate.

The play equipment. The inflatables themselves are $150,000 to $200,000, paid in full when ordered, and ordered as soon as the construction permit lands. That timing matters, because it is one of the largest cheques you write before you know the opening date.

The extras you choose. Arcade games run from $30,000 to $150,000, and the filing allows a leasing program instead of buying outright. That single choice can move the total by six figures.

What the table does not include is just as useful. It assumes you rent rather than buy the building. It excludes loan interest and fees. It excludes an owner’s salary. And its working capital line covers only two months, which is thin if your opening runs into a slow season.

The Outdoor Version Costs Less, But Not Where You Would Expect

An outdoor inflatable park files at $647,000 to $855,000, roughly $200,000 to $775,000 less than the indoor format. The saving is almost entirely the building. There is no build-out line at all, deposits run $5,000 to $50,000 for a seasonal site of six to twelve weeks, and fixtures and equipment drop to $80,000 to $120,000.

The equipment goes the other way. Outdoor inflatable components file at $445,000 to $535,000, more than double the indoor set, because the attractions are larger and built to sit outside. So the outdoor format swaps a construction bill for an equipment bill, and the money ends up in assets you can move rather than in improvements you leave with the landlord.

What Moves the Number

Square footage. The indoor inflatable format is specified at 12,000 to 22,000 square feet. Trampoline systems typically build at 25,000 and up. Soft play can work from about 5,000. Footprint drives deposits, rent and most of the build-out, so it is the first lever on the total.

Ceiling height. This is the one that catches people. An indoor inflatable park needs close to 27 feet of clear height, more than a trampoline court, and buildings at 24 to 28 feet of clear height commonly lease at a 15 to 30 percent premium over the 16-foot tier. The full reasoning is in the guide to why an inflatable park needs the taller building.

New build vs conversion. A second-generation space, one that already has the HVAC, restrooms and sprinklers a public venue needs, can take a large bite out of the build-out line. A shell that has only ever held pallets will not.

Local construction and rent. The same 15,000 square feet costs very different amounts in different metros. The filed ranges are wide for exactly this reason, and the low end assumes a market where both are cheap.

Rebranding. The Funbox filing notes lower furniture and build-out costs for operators converting from an affiliated brand. If you already run a venue, ask every franchisor whether a conversion track exists.

The Costs That Start After Opening Day

Startup budgets stop at the ribbon cutting. Three costs begin after it, and none of them sit in Item 7.

Royalty and local advertising. The Funbox royalty is 8 percent of gross revenue, paid monthly. Indoor parks also commit to local advertising of the greater of $1,000 a month or 2 percent of gross revenue.

Equipment replacement. The franchise agreement sets a usable life of 24 months for indoor inflatable components, with one possible 12-month extension. At $150,000 to $200,000 a set, that is $75,000 to $100,000 a year that never appears in a startup budget.

Refurbishment. Indoor parks must also be refurbished at least every three years.

Put these next to the startup range and you have the real cost of ownership. Whether a park covers them comfortably is a question about revenue, and the analysis of what a park earns once it is open works through the filed numbers.

Independent vs Franchise: the Same Lines, Different Risks

An independent operator pays for most of the same lines: a lease, a build-out, equipment, insurance, a point-of-sale system, an opening budget and working capital. What changes is who carries the uncertainty.

What an independent saves. No franchise fee, no royalty, no required suppliers. On a $2,000,000 park, the royalty alone is $160,000 a year kept.

What an independent pays for instead. Design, vendor selection, a layout that has never been tested, and every lesson that a franchise system has already paid for. The startup cost may be lower on paper and higher in practice, because change orders and mistakes do not appear in a vendor’s estimate.

What only a filing gives you. A franchisor’s Item 7 is a published, legally required budget with every line named. An independent estimate is a forecast. That difference matters most to a lender, and it is the reason many first-time operators find a franchise easier to finance. The eight steps from idea to opening day lay out both paths side by side.

How to Pay for It

Most builds are financed through a combination of four sources.

SBA-backed bank loans. The SBA’s 7(a) and 504 programs are the standard route for first-time operators, and franchised concepts with a published Item 7 are generally easier to underwrite.

Equipment financing or leasing. Play structures and arcade games can often be financed or leased separately, which the Funbox filing explicitly allows for arcade games.

Tenant-improvement allowances. A negotiated allowance is financing that lives inside the lease, and it applies directly to the largest line in the budget.

Equity. Lenders will expect to see your own money in the deal, and Item 7 already assumes you can cover two months of operations without borrowing for them.

A business plan template makes the lender conversation faster, and a separate guide on financing a kids franchise goes deeper into each route.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to open a trampoline park?

Operator estimates for an independent trampoline park run $1,200,000 to $2,000,000. Four national trampoline franchise systems file ranges from about $2.1 million to $8.4 million, with most standard new builds between about $2.1 million and $5.8 million. The size of the building is the main driver.

How much does an indoor playground cost to start?

An independent soft-play room can start at around $50,000 and run to $500,000. A franchised indoor inflatable park is filed at $855,000 to $1,630,000, including a $75,000 franchise fee and $150,000 to $200,000 of play equipment.

What is the biggest startup cost?

The build-out. In the Funbox filing, leasehold improvements and architect fees are $300,000 to $650,000, the largest and widest single line. A landlord’s tenant-improvement allowance can reduce it substantially.

Is an outdoor inflatable park cheaper?

Yes, by about $200,000 at the low end. An outdoor park files at $647,000 to $855,000 because there is no build-out, but its inflatable equipment costs $445,000 to $535,000, more than double the indoor set.

Where can I find a franchise’s real startup costs?

In Item 7 of its franchise disclosure document, which several states publish free. The guide to how to read Item 7 and the rest of the filing walks through where each number sits.

What costs are not in the startup budget?

Royalties, ongoing advertising, equipment replacement, refurbishment, loan interest and an owner’s salary. For an indoor inflatable park, equipment replacement alone is $75,000 to $100,000 a year.

The Number That Matters

The startup range tells you whether you can open. The lines after opening day tell you whether you can stay open. Price both before you sign a lease.

If an indoor or outdoor inflatable park is on your shortlist, ask the Funbox franchise team for the current FDD and build your own budget from Item 7.

Sources

1. Funbox Franchise, LLC, 2026 Franchise Disclosure Document, issued 2 April 2026, Items 5, 6 and 7 and the form of franchise agreement, California DFPI registry. https://dfpi.ca.gov/search-result-detail/?id=564837&type=org

2. Franchise disclosure documents for four national trampoline park systems, 2025 and 2026 issues, as summarized by franchise research publishers. Accessed November 2026.

3. Published franchise investment guidance for a national soft-contained play system. Accessed September 2026.

4. Indoor playground cost guides from equipment and software vendors, accessed August 2026, for the independent soft-play range.

5. Industrial clear-height tiers and rent premiums, Palm Beach Warehouses clear height guide and Link Logistics industrial real estate guidance. Accessed September 2026.

6. U.S. Small Business Administration, loan programs (7(a) and 504). https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans